


never knew that it could mean so much

by CerinityKS



Category: The Martian (2015), The Martian - All Media Types, The Martian - Andy Weir
Genre: Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-26 14:02:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5007514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CerinityKS/pseuds/CerinityKS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So here’s the most important thing – Chris is the only one who can calm Mark down after a nightmare. </p><p>Which is where the most important part of this whole story comes into play – Mark was having a nightmare, and the only person there to help was <i>Beth</i>. </p><p>-</p><p>where chris is with mark, and chris is with beth, but mark and beth aren't with each other, until they're forced into a situation that makes them realize maybe there's a little more to this whole relationship thing than they originally thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	never knew that it could mean so much

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from 'love me like you do' by ellie goulding 
> 
> i love this couple, and i'm glad other like it too and that it's gaining traction slowly :D hopefully you guys enjoy! 
> 
> \----
> 
> based on this prompt found on tumblr -   
> A has a history of severe nightmares, B knows how to calm A down but is out of town, C has to try for the first time alone

See, the things is this – Mark has nightmares.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, Beth would be surprised if Mark _didn’t_ have nightmares honestly. 

Here’s the other thing – Mark’s nightmares were _bad_. 

The first time Mark had one was about a week after they’d rescued him from Mars. Mark had screamed so loud, so _terrified_ , that he’d brought the whole crew running. What was most terrifying about the whole ordeal was that Mark didn’t move when he had nightmares. With most people you’d expect them to be thrashing wildly. But Mark – Mark was _still_. He’d scream and whimper, beg wildly, tears running down his face – and be completely still while doing it. 

It had been terrifying honestly, and Beth hadn’t known what to do. 

So here’s the most important thing – Chris is the only one who can calm Mark down after a nightmare. 

It was like Chris was fucking magic, the way he managed to get Mark calm. A few whispered words, a touch here, a touch there, and Mark was gasping awake, clinging desperately to Chris. A few more words, a few more touches, and then it was like Mark hadn’t just been in the throes of a severe nightmare. 

Fucking magic. 

So really, it hadn’t been a surprise to Beth the first time she’d walked into a room and caught them making out like horny teenagers. 

Mark had, understandably, been mortified. Here he was making out with Beth’s boyfriend, and Beth had caught them. Of fucking course it took Chris to calm him down, and then they’d managed to explain, very slowly and clearly, that Beth didn’t care. That Chris was polyamorous and this was something they’d talked about, extensively, before they got together. 

Beth was Chris’s girlfriend, and if Mark wanted and could accept that, he could be Chris’s boyfriend. It hadn’t taken Mark long to understand, and once everything had been laid out, he’d agreed, and Chris now had a very loving girlfriend, and a very loving boyfriend, who were nothing other than friends to each other. 

Which is where the most important part of this whole story comes into play – Mark was having a nightmare, and the only person there to help was Beth. 

Beth stared at the bed ( _their_ bed, that the three of them shared in _their_ apartment back on Earth, and it was a little strange, maybe, given their arrangement, but it _worked_ for them), and panicked. 

“Oh shit,” she swore, and dived frantically for her phone. She and Chris had set up contingency plans for just this scenario – which was Chris being out of the house (or clear across the country at some dumbass conference in this case) and Mark needing him to calm him down from a nightmare. They’d hoped it wouldn’t be necessary (it had been three months since Mark’s last nightmare, a record) but it was always better to be safe than sorry. 

And of fucking _course_ now would be the time for the damn nightmares to come back. 

“Come on, come on,” Beth hissed as Mark cried out again. Beth shuddered and felt her heart break at the agony on Mark’s face. 

The call went straight to voicemail and Beth cursed as she tried again. And again, but each time it went straight to voicemail. 

“Fuck!” Beth yelled, and threw her phone away in frustration. 

Mark let out another wail and Beth _couldn’t_ stand there and _not_ try to do anything. 

“Oh man, screw you and your conference Chris,” Beth breathed as she hurried over to the bed. She climbed on carefully and pressed a hand to Mark’s neck. His pulse was fast, wild, _terrified_ , and Beth had to breathe in and out slowly to calm her own racing heart. 

She grabbed one of Mark’s hands in her own, wincing slightly as it was nearly crushed in Mark’s bruising grip. 

“Mark,” She spoke lowly, soothingly, and Mark twitched as he whimpered. 

“Mark, ssh, it’s me, it’s Beth, I need you to wake up for me now, okay?” 

Mark twitched again, mouth opening, but the other man just gasped. 

“Mark,” Beth felt tears of frustration and fear gathering in her eyes, “Mark, please, please wake up for me? You’re safe, I promise, you’re safe, you’re on Earth, you’re with me, and I need you to wake up, okay?” 

Mark froze, and Beth held her breath. Then, slowly, Mark blinked awake with terror in his eyes. 

Beth nearly collapsed in relief, but the job was only half done. Instead she pressed the hand she was holding to her neck, where Mark could feel her pulse, and smiled softly down at him. 

“Hey sleeping beauty, it’s me, it’s Beth, there you are. Are you with me Mark? Can you tell me where you are?” she tried to soothe. Her thumb rubbed absent circles against Mark’s jaw as the other man’s eyes started to slowly focus. 

“Beth?” Mark croaked. 

“Hey, yeah, it’s me. There you are,” Beth whispered, a grin lighting up her features, “Can you tell me where you are Mark?” 

Mark took a few seconds to answer, eyes still wide and terrified as he stared at Beth. 

“Y-you, um, Ea-Earth? We, we’re on Earth?” 

“That’s good, that’s right Mark, you’re safe, I’m here,” Beth leaned down and pressed their foreheads together. She was slowly calming down, her heart no longer trying to beat through her ribs. 

“Beth,” Mark breathed, and then his hand was sliding up to curl in her hair, and the two of them were pressed together, clutching the other tightly as they calmed. 

“You scared me,” Beth admitted. They were on their sides, foreheads still pressed together, so she was staring directly in his eyes as she spoke. 

“I scared myself,” Mark’s lips twisted bitterly. 

“Hey, no, none of that,” Beth pressed closer, as impossible as it seemed, and one of her legs ended up wedged between his as she brought a hand up from where it was been clutching at his back to press to Mark’s cheek instead. 

“It’s not your fault,” Beth whispered, “I’m just glad I managed to wake you. Thought no one but Chris could do it,” she laughed weakly. 

“I’m glad you could,” Mark laughed with her, and then he was leaning forward and brushing his lips across hers and Beth _froze_. 

“Is, is this okay?” Mark asked, and he looked vaguely terrified that he’d crossed some invisible line. 

Beth looked right back, confused, but couldn’t deny that she hadn’t thought about the same thing once or twice. Mark was attractive, that was hard to deny. This had also never been something any of them had considered before, and it would shake up their dynamic. 

At the moment though, with Mark’s terrified eyes boring into hers, and the way she could feel him already starting to withdraw, Beth decided that it didn’t matter. She wanted this, just like Mark apparently did, and this was something they could explore further when Chris was back. 

So Beth pressed forward and kissed Mark slowly, gently, and the other man whimpered and seemed to just _melt_ against her. She hummed and coaxed Mark’s mouth open as he pressed his warm hands to her back. 

Mark was warm and pliant against her, and it took barely any effort on her part to roll Mark onto his back and settle on top of him. 

“Beth,” Mark sighed, and Beth grinned as she pressed a line of kisses across Mark’s jaw. 

“Wanna go back to sleep?” Beth breathed. 

“Not yet,” Mark caught her lips again and Beth sighed, happy. 

“Good.” 

-

When Chris got home two days later Beth and Mark were curled up on the bed, talking quietly. Beth was only wearing a tank top and her underwear, and Mark was only wearing a loose pair of shorts. 

They didn’t glance up as Chris stopped in the entryway to their bedroom, taking in the scene. He stared at them, his lovers, and wondered just _what_ had happened in his absence. Before he’d left they were friends, yes, but not as close as they clearly were now. 

He’d seen the 3 missed calls from Beth two days ago and had panicked, but when he’d called back she’d said it was nothing, they were drunk, but clearly _something_ had happened. 

He dropped his bag in the entryway, toed off his shoes, and then took off his jacket and shirt. 

“Mind if I join this little cuddle?” he asked, just before he dropped on top of both of them. Mark and Beth yelped in shock, both of them clearly _just_ now noticing he was there. 

“Chris!” 

“You’re back!” 

And then he was assaulted on both sides with affection and Chris laughed, loud and happy, so glad to be back home. 

Mark drew him into a kiss and Chris sighed, finally feeling grounded, before Beth slowly turned his head and pressed their lips together next. 

“I missed you guys,” he whispered. 

“We missed you too,” Mark replied between kisses down Chris’s neck. Chris groaned, surprised when both Beth and Mark worked in tandem to get his jeans unbuttoned and pushed down. 

“Just _what_ happened when I was away?” he asked wonderingly. 

Mark and Beth stopped to glance at each other, then Chris. 

“We both, well,” Mark started. 

“We realized something,” Beth grinned, and then Mark was leaning over and holy shit they were _kissing_ over him. 

Chris whimpered a little, eyes wide, and suddenly his underwear was a little too tight. 

“Holy shit,” he breathed. 

Beth and Mark pulled back and grinned down at him. 

“Good?” they asked in unison. 

“ _So_ good,” Chris swore. 

And later, after they’d _fully_ explored this new side of their relationship (and Chris was _deliciously_ sore) Chris couldn’t help but smile as he sat on the bed. Beth and Mark were curled together, both of them asleep, and Chris couldn’t help but marvel at them. 

That these two people he didn’t deserve but somehow loved him, and now, apparently, were learning to care for each other as they did him. He’d never dared to _dream_ that this would happen, even though he’d thought about it, _extensively_. 

“This could really work,” he breathed, and Beth twitched, before she blinked her eyes open and stared up at him confusedly. 

“C’ris? Come back to bed,” she whispered. 

“Yeah, hold on,” he replied, then slowly crawled to the other side of Mark, the botanist sandwiched between him and Beth. 

“Better,” Beth hummed, and then a second later she was asleep again. Chris muffled a laugh and instead curled around Mark as he closed his eyes. 

He fell asleep easily, the two people he loved best beside him, and knew nothing could be better than this.

**Author's Note:**

> find [this](http://rinnielove.tumblr.com/post/131252283656/never-knew-that-it-could-mean-so-much) on tumblr x


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